Chapter 28 - Shadows of home

Esteria awoke with the first rays of dawn spilling through the thin curtains of her room, feeling the weight of the previous day's events resting heavily on her. The darkness she had mastered with Lilith's guidance was both a blessing and a burden, a power she could not afford to ignore. But today, her thoughts were elsewhere—on completing her training and finally returning home. The longing to leave this place and resume her lessons with El-Kharis had grown stronger, but it wasn't just the lessons she missed. The thought of El-Kharis brought an unexpected warmth to her chest, something more than mere anticipation for training.